Thursday, April 22, 2010

Journal #10 - Let the Kids Do the Work (NETS II,V)

Lawlor, J. (2010). Let the kids do the work. Learning and Leading with Technology, 37(6), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Publications/LL/LLIssues/Volume3720092010/MarchAprilNo6/Let_the_Kids_Do_the_Work.htm

In the article, “Let the Kids Do the Work”, Joseph Lawlor states how if teachers teach students using methods that the students can relate to then the students will do all the work. The author gives an example of how he used a wiki to get students to write a poem and analyze their writing process. The teacher was only expecting the minimum number of responses but was surprised by the amount of feedback he received. This teacher believes that if teachers use tools that are relevant to the students then their job as a teacher will become easier. The students will learn more and soon will be teaching and supporting each other. I will certainly give this idea a try.
How can I use wikis in my classroom?
I can use a wiki page when I want to review a concept with my students. For example, if I teach my students how to write a paragraph I would have them publish their paragraph on the wiki and have students grade each other on the wiki page. The class wiki will be where students show the skills that they learned in the classroom and the teacher can evaluate their understanding.
What subjects can wikis be used in?
I believe wikis can be helpful in all areas. It can be used for math such that students can work on homework problems. A way in which they can be used in English was described in the article. In science students can create their own wiki in which they add and describe different scientific formulas.

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